Earthquake
by flavumetrubrum
Summary: Mikey is woken up one day to find the lair--and all of New York City--torn up by a massive earthquake. He and Leo search desperately for their family as they try to make their way out of the flooding sewers and through the destruction on the surface.
1. Chapter 1

Mikey moaned and rolled over, trying desperately to escape the hands that were so roughly shaking him awake. There was a loud roaring in his ears and he heard someone shouting at him as if from a long distance. He rubbed the sleep from his eyes and forced them open. Leo was standing there, his hands on Mikey's shell and a worried frown on his face. The roaring continued—Mikey was also able to distinguish a rumbling coming from beneath his bed.

He realized that Leo was still shaking him and shoved his hands off. The motion didn't cease, however, and Mikey looked up at his brother, instantly wide awake. "What's going on?" he shouted. He could barely hear his own voice over all the noise.

"Earthquake!" Leo yelled back, pulling him off the bed. The younger turtle grabbed his nunchucks and tucked them in his belt. He followed his brother out of the room unsteadily, stunned by how quickly and evenly the older ninja walked over the shaking ground. He glanced around the lair for the rest of his family but didn't see anyone.

Everything was a mess. Water was already leaking into the main area from every direction, the floor was littered with broken glass and fallen furniture, and the walls were beginning to crack. A loud crash from inside Don's lab caused Mikey to shudder. The brainy turtle would be devastated—there was a lot of delicate stuff in there. Leo headed toward the lair door, passing the elevator. Mikey ran to catch up with him, almost falling several times as the floor buckled beneath him.

Mikey motioned over his shoulder toward the elevator door. If this much water was leaking into the lair, the sewers had to be badly flooded. They should take the quickest way possible to the surface. Leo shook his head and mouthed, "Broken." Mikey gulped and continued toward their only way out.

Suddenly, the shaking ceased and the rumbling sound faded away. Mikey took a step and overcompensated, falling flat on his face. He pushed himself up, realizing that the roaring had only grown louder. Leo was at the door, looking at him over his shoulder. "Come on, Don says this place could come down any minute. We've got to get topside before we're either buried alive or flooded out," the older turtle called, punching in the code to open the door. Mikey hurried to his brother's side.

As soon as the door slid open water began to pour into the lair. Mikey almost lost his footing as it rushed past him but Leo grabbed his arm and steadied him. The roaring was much closer now, and he couldn't hear Leo anymore. The older turtle trudged through the knee-deep water, still holding Mikey's arm. They walked against the strong current side-by-side, making their way toward the nearest access ladder.

Suddenly Leo cried out beside Mikey and his grip on his arm tightened. Then his hand slipped from Mikey's elbow and there was a quiet splash, mostly drowned out by the continuous roaring. Mikey immediately plunged his arms into the icy water, thrashing around frantically in search of his older brother. His fingers brushed something hard that felt like a shell and his hand automatically closed around the edge. He heaved upward, praying that it was indeed Leo.

The older turtle broke the surface of the water, sputtering and coughing. He gasped for breath as he leaned against Mikey. Leo shouted something about debris in the water and began to walk forward once again, still coughing occasionally. He was walking with a pronounced limp, but Mikey knew there was nothing he could do for his brother until they reached the surface. For now, their first priority was getting out of the sewers alive.

Mikey reached forward and grabbed his brother's hand. The last thing they needed was one of them drowning if they were knocked over again. Leo looked over his shoulder and smiled encouragingly, squeezing his hand. Mikey managed a small smile in return.

A small tremor shook the ground beneath their feet and a few chunks of concrete fell from the ceiling of the dark tunnel. Mikey squeaked and scooted closer to Leo as splashes echoed over the deafening roar of the water. A few more aftershocks like that and New York City would be collapsing in on them.

Mikey could barely see Leo's form in front of him through the oppressive darkness, but he could tell he was tense. The katana-wielding ninja's shoulders were tight and his jaw was visibly clenched. The bones of Mikey's hands were being ground together in the ferocity of Leo's grip.

Leo came to an abrupt halt in front of him, causing Mikey to walk into his shell. "Ow!" he protested loudly, though not loudly enough to be heard. Leo pulled his hand forward and placed in on the cold metal rung of an access ladder, motioning for him to climb up first. The normally happy-go-lucky turtle gulped as he stumbled toward their escape, feeling the slippery rung beneath his green hand. He pulled himself up out of the water—which was now up to his mid-thighs—and began to climb slowly, careful not to slip. He recognized this ladder; it was one of the most-used ways top-side for the turtle quartet. 

It was fairly close to the lair and came up not too far from April's apartment and Mikey's favorite pizza place. His stomach rumbled as he thought of pizza, but he shook his head, trying to forget his hunger.

Mikey reached the top of the ladder and pushed on the manhole cover. It barely gave way a half inch before he could no longer move it. Something was pinning it down. Mikey called down to Leo as loudly as he could, "It's stuck! Something's holding it down." Although Mike could barely hear himself, Leo seemed to get the message. He motioned to him to come back down and backed slightly away from the ladder, ready to catch the younger ninja if he fell.

Unfortunately, he did. Halfway back down the ladder Mikey's hand slipped from the wet metal and he fell backward, carried by the weight of his shell. He fell into Leo and heard his brother's breath rush out in an "oomph" sound that he would have found funny in any other situation. Instead, the two fell into the two-and-a-half feet deep water.

The freezing liquid rushed over Mikey's body and he gasped, breathing in a mouthful of the foul sewer water. He coughed and gasped some more, struggling to sit up. As soon as his head broke the water he realized that he was still on Leo, holding him under the surface. He forced himself to his feet and pulled his brother from under the water for the second time. They stood there for some time, coughing up the filthy water and shaking from the cold.

Eventually Leo straightened his trembling shoulders and started to fight his way against the strengthening flow of the water. Mikey sighed, glancing back at the access ladder in regret, and followed his brother. Mikey stared at Leo's shell. His arms were wrapped around his plastron for warmth and he didn't want to let go to hold onto his older brother, but he didn't want to lose him.

The two ninja turtles walked for some time without mishap before reaching another manhole. The water now reached Mikey's belt, and he figured they were getting closer to the source of the flood. Mikey again climbed up before Leo, but the going was much slower. Mikey's muscles were stiff from being submerged in cold water and his lungs still ached from breathing in the nasty water.

Mikey held his breath as he pushed on the metal cover, praying that it would open. It was heavier than normal, as if something was pressing it down, but it moved out of the way as Mikey slid it to his left. He flashed a grin back down into the tunnel, although he was pretty sure Leo couldn't see his face, and then climbed out of the hole.

It was dark outside—it couldn't be any later than two in the morning. Mikey squinted back into the hole he had just emerged from and heard Leo making his slow way up the ladder. Mikey listened to his leader's heavy, raspy breathing and noticed that he seemed to be climbing with only one leg. Maybe he had hurt himself worse than Mikey had thought….

Mikey's thoughts were abruptly cut off as another aftershock—this one much stronger—shook the alley he was kneeling in. He covered his head with his arms as a few loose bricks fell from the tall buildings on either side. It passed quickly, however, and Mikey breathed a sigh of relief as the horrible motion stopped. Without lifting his head, he called out to his brother, "Hey Leo, you okay?" He couldn't hear anything over the roaring of the water, but he hadn't really expected to. He inched his way over to the manhole and peered inside, searching for any sign of Leo.

The ladder was empty and for one agonizing minute, Mikey thought Leo had fallen and had been swept away by the swift current. Then he heard a familiar voice shout up from the darkness below, "Mikey? Michelangelo, are you alright?" The voice was faint but it filled Mikey with instant relief.

"Yeah, bro. What happened? Are you okay?" he called back as loudly as he could. A silent moment later he saw the slightly darker shape of Leonardo at the base of the ladder.

"I fell when the shock hit, but I'm fine. I'm coming up." Mikey knelt in the darkness until saw Leo's head appear in the opening, the reached down and helped his brother crawl out of the sewer. The two sprawled onto the ground, Mikey on his shell and Leo flat on his heaving plastron, breathing hard. They just lay there for some time, trying to catch their breaths and regain their bearings.

Finally Mikey pushed himself up and climbed slowly to his feet, using the wall of the building closest to him for support. "We should get going, Leo. The others will be worried." His companion grunted in reply and also staggered to his feet. They stumbled out of the alley and onto the cracked sidewalk, surveying the destruction around them.

Some buildings had collapsed, and a few others were on fire. Street lights and power lines were down, and wrecks littered the street. Concrete and asphalt alike were cracked and broken. Water spewed from fire hydrants and people stood huddled on debris-littered lawns, staring with shocked expressions at the remains of their homes.

Mikey shuddered and turned from the tragic scene, looking to his brother for directions. They stood in the dim light of a surprisingly still-standing street light, for once not afraid of being spotted. Leo was standing on his right leg only, obviously favoring the other. His left shin was bruised, but what scared Mikey the most was the ugly gash that traveled from his ankle up to his knee. The wound was leaking blood and was caked with gunk Mikey didn't want to know _what_ it was. In fact, both of them were completely covered in filth from the sewer water, and Mikey cringed at the thought of how much both of them had ingested. _Donny's gonna be mad, _he thought.

Mikey's thoughts turned to the rest of his family as Leo lead him away from the alley, back toward the lair. He hoped they had gotten to the surface safely, but Leo didn't seem worried. Hopefully that meant that he knew they were safe and all they had to do was find them.

A siren sounded shrilly somewhere in the distance, and Mikey thought about how many lives had been taken, ruined, or changed forever in that one night. In the absence of the loud roaring, Mikey was bombarded with a plethora of new sounds—many of which he wished he couldn't hear. A baby crying in the distance… someone screaming from pain, fear, or shock… a car alarm going off… a fire crackling as it consumed someone's home or livelihood… Leo's painful limping ahead of him.

Mikey's mind froze even as he continued walking, suddenly thinking about April and Casey. Had their apartments been destroyed? Had they been hurt or even killed in the disaster? Were they just as worried about them? Mikey forced the thoughts from his mine, telling himself there was nothing he could do about it at the time. First they had to find their family; then they could look for their friends.

A sudden thought struck Mikey and he reached into his belt, searching for his shell cell. He pulled it out and flipped it open; it had been crushed when he fell and no longer worked. He tossed the now-useless device to the side, cursing his bad luck. He opened his mouth to ask about Leo's, but the blue-banded turtle anticipated his question. "I lost mine the first time I went down. I already checked," he said in a monotone voice.

Mikey suddenly realized that their "fearless leader" _was_ worried. He shivered, suddenly afraid. Just knowing that Leo was nervous made Mikey feel much less secure. If Donny couldn't track them…. Mikey shook his head and continued after Leo. He had to trust his older brother to lead them to safety.

Mikey glanced at the ground and noticed with a sickening feeling that he was walking in a trail of bloody two-toed footprints. He grabbed Leo's arm and spun him around, nearly knocking both of the exhausted turtles off of their feet. Mikey clutched his brother, regaining his balance and looked sharply down at his shin. Blood was still seeping out of the cut and down his leg, coating his foot and leaving the gory prints behind.

Mikey suddenly wished Don was there as he looked up at Leo and mustered his very best authoritative voice; which, unfortunately, wasn't very good. "Leonardo, you are not going anywhere until we bandage that leg." He called on the power of full names, hoping it would be enough to make his brother listen. It wasn't.

"Mikey, we have to find the others. Donny'll bandage it as soon as we get to the Battle Shell," Leo replied, his voice strangely distant-sounding.

Mikey resorted to whining as he stomped his foot and sat down on the sidewalk. "Okay, fine! _I'm _not going anywhere until you let me bandage your leg." He stuck his bottom lip out stubbornly and glared defiantly up at Leo. The older brother looked ready to argue for a minute before sighing in defeat and joining Mikey on the ground.

"Fine," he said shortly, obviously displeased with the delay. But Mikey didn't care. He reached up and untied his mask, wrapping it around Leo's lower leg as many times as it would go. It covered only half the wound, so he motioned to Leo's own mask.

"Gimme your mask," he demanded, still maintaining his pouty voice. Leo silently untied the knot and handed it to him. Mikey pulled it tight around the wound, making Leo hiss quietly in pain. "Sorry, bro," Mikey murmured, tying the ends of the mask off. He surveyed his work, deciding it would have to do until they found the rest of their family.

"Thanks, Mikey," Leo said quietly. Mikey grinned at his brother, instantly dropping his sulky façade. He climbed to his feet and helped Leo up, pulling his arm over his shoulders. "Mikey," Leo said in an irritated but slightly amused voice. "I can walk on my own."

"But you don't have to," Mikey responded, using his best puppy-dog eyes. Leo had always been the most susceptible out of all his brothers to Mikey's charm. "Let me help you," he pleaded.

Leo sighed defeatedly, yet again, and Mikey felt a small twinge of guilt in his gut. He quickly pushed it away, however, and told himself it was for his own good. The two continued on in silence as they drew closer to the alley where they had first tried to escape the flooding sewers. Mikey heard voices coming from the alley and his heart rate quickened in excitement.

"Hurry, get this off the lid. They can't get out!" Raph was shouting.

"They're probably not even down there anymore. We should go look for them," Don's voice calmly replied. Mikey almost jumped for joy as he heard his brothers bickering. They were okay. He opened his mouth to call out to them when another aftershock brought him to his knees, dragging Leo along with him. He heard Raph call out in surprise and Don grunt in pain, but before he could call out to them he heard a loud cracking noise that filled him with fear.

The ground seemed to open up beneath him and suddenly he was flying through the air, though it felt like he was moving backward rather than down. He lost his grip on Leo and shouted hoarsely; his breath was forced out of his lungs as he landed on the ground, his eyes squeezed shut tightly. When nothing landed on him and he felt the ground stop shaking, he opened his eyes reluctantly and peered around him. He was lying next to a gaping hole in the street, his legs dangling into the chasm. He climbed to his hands and knees and looked for his brother. Leo wasn't anywhere to be seen.

With a sinking heart he crawled to the edge and peered over, searching for any sign of Leo. He was about to give up when he was a flash of blue from the rubble in the bottom of the crack. _Leo's katana! _he realized with panic. "Raph! Donny!" he shouted. There was no reply. Mikey suddenly felt very helpless and alone.

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I don't know where I get my inspiration sometimes, but here is the first part of one of my random ideas. It was originally intended to be a one-shot, but it got long enough that I decided to do it in two parts. Anyway, I hope you like it. Thanks for reading!


	2. Chapter 2

Thanks so much to BigfootSighted, Sapphire93, Katiesmeghead, Puldoh, WarrinPeace, hmw95, LeoTMNTGirl, winged-monkey, Alexa, The Ghost of FF. Net, Kyaserin Marii, KittyGrl24, and Eridani23 for your reviews! They mean so much. I don't own the turtles.

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Mikey knelt next to the deep chasm, shaking with shock and fear. He had no idea if any of his brothers were alive—for all he knew, they could all be buried under hundreds of pounds of debris. And he had never even heard his father's voice…. Mikey gulped and called out, "Raph! Donny! Leo needs help!" Still no answer. He scooted as far away from the katana as he could and swung his legs over the edge. "Please don't let me land on him," he said aloud, pushing himself off the street and into the hole.

Pain shot up his legs as he was jarred to a halt by the large chunks of asphalt, and he nearly lost his balance. He managed to stay on his feet, however, and looked around for any signs of his brother. He yanked the katana out of the rubble; it was scratched but not broken. Mikey breathed a sigh of relief, remembering with dread the last time Leo had had his swords broken. The orange-masked turtle slipped the blade into his belt, careful to position it so that it couldn't cut him, and began to move the smaller pieces of rock out of the way.

Mikey heard an echoing cough from what seemed a great distance and began to pull at the debris with all his strength. Leo was alive! He scratched desperately at some smaller stones; they scratched and cut his fingers but he didn't care. He pulled a large chunk of pavement from where it was wedged… and the rest of the debris gave way beneath him.

Mikey cried out as he fell into the emptiness. He landed on his plastron on top of most of the debris, knocking the breath out of his lungs. A few smaller pieces landed on top of him, but he quickly knocked them off. He stood to his feet slowly, feeling to make sure nothing was broken. When he was satisfied that he hadn't been badly hurt he looked around him in the darkness, trying to get his bearings.

"M-Mikey?" a familiar voice called out tentatively.

"Leo! You're okay!" Mikey shouted, scrambling haphazardly over the rocks in the direction Leo's voice had come from. The turtle had evidently dragged himself out from under the debris after he had fallen and over to a wall. _Good thing, too, _Mikey thought, shuddering. _I could have killed him if he had been under there. _

It was even darker in the tunnel than it had been above ground, and Mikey could barely make out Leo's shape as he drew close. He groped in the darkness, tripping several times, and finally found his brother leaning against the stone wall. Mikey glanced around again quickly. "Shell!" he cursed loudly. They were in the sewers again—back to square one.

"Language, Mikey," Leo reminded him softly. The younger turtle's head snapped back around, all thoughts now on his brother.

"Are you okay, Leo? Does anything feel broken? Did you hit your head?" He frantically tried to remember everything Don had ever told him about how to treat various injuries. He began to run his hands over Leo's arms and plastron, checking for any broken bones or blood. Leo gently shoved his hands away and hoisted himself to his feet, leaning heavily against the wall. He breathed in heavily a few times, coughed harshly once, and then steadied his breathing.

"I'm fine, Mikey. Let's go; I don't recognize this part of the sewer, and I don't know where the closest manhole is. We've got to find the others and make sure they're alright." Mikey's heart sank as he thought about the silence that had met his cries for help only moments before.

"Uh, Leo? I don't think they could hear me after you fell. I think they might be in trouble," he whispered, uncharacteristically quiet and subdued. Leo sighed and his shoulders seemed to slump, but he soon straightened himself and began to walk forward determinedly.

"They'll be fine, Mikey. We have to have faith in them." Mikey nodded his head, despite knowing Leo couldn't see him, and followed his brother. He took the time to watch him, trying to judge if Leo really was "fine." The older ninja was still breathing heavily and seemed to be favoring his injured leg more. Mikey sighed, wishing he could do something for him.

"Oh, hey, Leo. I found your katana. You lost it when you fell," Mikey said, pulling the sword out of his belt and handing it to his brother.

Leo smiled at him gratefully, accepting the katana and sheathing it on his back. "Thanks, Mikey."

Suddenly Mikey's feet slipped out from under him and he landed hard on his backside. He sat in the slimy muck of the sewer floor and blinked several times before regaining his composure. He pulled himself up, almost falling onto his face in the process, and faced Leo sheepishly. The older turtle's mouth twitched, and for a second Mikey thought he was going to be mad. Then, before Mikey knew what was happening, Leo was holding his sides and _laughing. _Leo hadn't laughed like that in ages, and Mikey found himself joining in, almost against his will. The two stood side-by-side for some time, gasping for breath and holding their aching stomachs.

"I see you've been practicing your ninjitsu lately," Leo grinned sarcastically.

"Yeah, you know me; Mr. Ever-vigilant Ninja!" Mikey joked back. "I guess that's why they named me the Battle Nexus Champion, huh?" The brothers fell into another bout of laughter, enjoying themselves despite the grave situation.

Without warning Leo's laughter ceased and he gave a small choking sound before falling to his knees. He leaned forward and emptied his stomach all over the sewer floor. Mikey's smile faded from his face and he knelt next to his brother, placing his hand on his shell comfortingly. As soon as Leo was done heaving, he looked up at him with a small, sheepish smile.

"I won't tell Raph about you slipping if you don't tell him I puked all over the place, alright?" the older suggested.

"Sounds good to me," Mikey replied, forcing himself to return the smile. Leo stood to his feet and began back down the tunnel. Mikey frowned worriedly after his retreating shell, thinking about all the sewer water he had probably swallowed in his two dunkings. Plus, he had been walking around in the stagnant water for some time with an open wound. It didn't take Donny to figure out they'd probably have one very sick turtle on their hands soon. Mikey sighed and followed his brother.

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What felt like hours later the two wandering ninjas had passed two manholes, both of which had been blocked by debris. Dim light from cracks in the streets above was beginning to make it easier to see, but that also meant it was getting light outside. If they did make it to the surface, they would have to be careful not to be seen…. But now Mikey was beginning to despair of ever finding a way topside.

Mikey was pulled from his desperate thoughts when Leo stopped abruptly and glanced around at the tunnel they were in. Mikey mimicked his brother's motions, trying to figure out what had caught his attention. From the way he seemed to deflate, it couldn't be a good thing. But Mikey couldn't see anything unique about the tunnel; it looked just like every other one they had travelled during the night. Suddenly Mikey's stomach constricted and he felt dread and panic taking over his reasoning. It looked _too _much like the other tunnels—they were going in circles! Mikey gasped and looked sharply at Leo, who was still looking around him in disbelief. Leo _never_ went in circles. Ever. At least not unless he meant to….

"Leo, are you okay?" Mikey asked gently, approaching his brother from behind. The older turtle seemed to be muttering something to himself and jumped in surprise when Mikey placed a hand on his shoulder. Reason enough to be concerned... "Dude, it's alright. We'll find a way up… somehow."

"I'm leading us in circles! I'm supposed to be the one to get us out of situations like this, and I can't even walk in a straight line! I…." Leo stopped shouting and growled in frustration, slamming his fist into the wall of the sewer hard enough to bust his knuckles. Mikey took a stumbling step backward, shocked by his normally imperturbable brother's outburst.

"Leo… it's okay, bro. We'll just be more careful…." Mikey stopped when Leo sank to his knees, holding his bruised hand and leaning his forehead against the wet, slimy wall.

"I'm sorry, Mikey. I didn't mean to yell. I know we'll be okay," he whispered, all anger apparently having left him. Mikey was thoroughly confused. Leo was always so calm and rational, and now he was having ninety-mile-per-hour mood swings. This day was just getting too weird….

"It's okay, Leo. Let's just keep going." Leo nodded and stood up, seeming to have recovered. But Mikey didn't miss the slight wavering in his steps as he walked off.

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A few hours and many wrong turns later, the two brothers were once again on the surface. The only problem was, neither of them had any idea where in New York they were. Everything was torn up; buildings were now mere piles of rubble, streets were cracked and caved in, almost all free-standing structures were on the ground…. The city was a mess.

Mikey and Leo huddled together in the cluttered remains of an alley, using what shelter they could find to shield themselves from the utter chaos and confusion of the people outside. It was sometime after noon, but it was still too bright to venture out into the street. If he wasn't so scared of being crushed, Mikey would have suggested they hide in the tunnel below until dark. For now, though, he was content to lean into his brother's warm plastron and try to sleep….

Some time later Mikey awoke on his back, his head pillowed in Leo's lap. He shifted uncomfortably on the concrete slab they had used as a bed and groaned softly as his head protested the movement. He must have hit it when he fell….

"Are you okay, Mikey? Are you hurt?" Leo's voice asked. Mikey forced his eyes opened and realized that it was once again dark outside. For all he knew, it could have been a whole day since the quake first hit. He peered closely at Leo, who seemed to be wide awake.

"I'm fine, I just have a little headache. What time is it?" Mikey pushed himself into a sitting position, rubbing the back of his head and looking around him.

"Best I can tell, it's still before midnight. We've got to get moving; I want to make sure Sensei, Don, and Raph are okay. Leo staggered to his feet, a little too slowly for comfort, and then reached down to help Mikey up. As he struggled to stand, Mikey realized for the first time how completely exhausted and sore he was. He felt like he had just finished an extra long training session and a couple dozen runs through the city, not a nap. He sighed wearily and followed Leo out of the alley and down the street, hopefully in the direction of their brothers.

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This wasn't as long as I had planned, but I wanted to go ahead and get something up. So, um… I'm thinking this is actually going to turn out to be about four parts. Amazing how a simple plot idea can turn into a major story, huh? Well, anyway, I hope you enjoyed it and I'll update as soon as I can.

Oh, by the way, the next chapter should be more exciting. More… action, I guess. Thanks for reading!


	3. Chapter 3

Thanks to Leo Oneal, Eridani23, KittyGrl24, Kyaserin Marii, The Ghost of FF .Net, alexa, winged-monkey, LeoTMNTGirl, hmw95, WarrinPeace, Puldoh, katiesmeghead, Sapphire93, BigfootSighted, Tera Hunter, mav32, Diamond-Of-Longcleave, Indecisive Demolition Button, Suifox, and Nightwatcher'sunknowngirl for your reviews. They mean a lot, and although I have been very lazy about updating, you guys are the only reason I'm writing at all. Thanks so much!

Oh yeah, still don't own 'em.

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Mikey was more miserable than he'd ever been in his life. He was worried sick about his family, his head was pounding mercilessly, and he was sure he and Leo had walked at least a hundred miles since the beginning of the earthquake. At least it was quiet on the surface compared to the constant roaring underground. It gave him a chance to think… but, when he thought about it, Mikey wasn't so sure that was a good thing. The longer he considered it the worse the mental images became. He could almost see Raph's, Don's, and Splinter's mangled bodies lying bleeding in the middle of a mound of concrete blocks and oversized bricks…. Mikey shook his head, sending pain spiking from between his eyes, and pushed the thoughts away.

The more the two turtles walked, the more lost Mikey became. They had to have passed something familiar by now, but with all the destruction and carnage covering the city, they must have missed it. And then there was the ever-present feeling that they were walking in the wrong direction…. Mikey sighed in frustration, telling himself to trust Leo.

Suddenly the older turtle stopped and his whole body seemed to tense up. Mikey approached him cautiously from behind, afraid that his brother was having another meltdown. Leo was staring intently into the distance, his eyes unfocused as if he was listening to something important. "Um, bro? What is it?" Mikey asked nervously. Before the orange banded turtle had time to react, his older brother was already halfway up the side of one of the still-standing buildings. Michelangelo was barely aware of his own body taking off after his brother as worry clouded his senses.

Mikey finally caught up with his brother on a cracked and broken roof, overlooking the burning remains of an apartment building. The younger turtle let out a low whistle as part of the roof caved in. A loud 

scream broke through the myriad of other noises, chilling Mikey to the bone. He walked up to Leo's side and placed his hand on his shoulder. "Leo, what's wrong? We shouldn't be here…."

"Her son's in there," Leo answered. Before Michelangelo had a chance to take in the information his older brother was off again. Mikey watched in horror as the young leader disappeared into the building, through a window shrouded in flames and smoke. Seconds that felt like hours passed as Mikey's eyes frantically searched for any signs of his brother. He fell to his knees as a large explosion rocked the burning building, sending half of it to the ground. The woman's wail pierced through night, echoing the one in Mikey's own head.

Suddenly a green blur shot out of the wreckage, stumbling to a stop next to Mikey. The younger turtle's eyes widened as he took in the sight of his smoke-darkened brother. Leo set down a small child who appeared to be unharmed. The little boy's eyes were wide and he stared at Leo in awe.

"Thanks, mister. What are you?" the boy asked, though not out of fear as the turtles were used to.

"Just a friend," Leo rasped. "Now go yell for the firemen. Your mom's worried about you." As the little boy moved to the edge of the building to follow Leo's directions, the older turtle turned toward Mikey. "Come on, Mikey. We've gotta find the guys."

As the brothers continued walking, Mikey could hear Leo coughing harshly beside him. Whether it was from the smoke or the sewer water, or both, Mikey had no idea, but he was becoming increasingly worried about his brother. If they didn't find Donny soon, Mikey had no idea what they would do. Leo coughed again, wiping something from his chin. Michelangelo didn't want to even think about what it could be, hoping it was only saliva.

A low rumble from beneath their feet caused Mikey to edge closer to Leo, but the ground didn't shake. He breathed a sigh of relief but didn't move away from his brother. Something about his presence, despite the coughing, was comforting. Leo reached out and grabbed Mikey's hand, drawing him closer still and placing an arm around his shoulders. At first Mikey thought Leo was only trying to comfort him, but as the older turtle leaned into him Mikey couldn't help but think that Leo needed the support. The thought scared Mikey, and he was unable to suppress a shiver.

Leo looked at him, and despite the darkness Mikey could easily picture the look of concern on his face. "You okay, Mikey? Do you need to rest?" The youngest turtle would have said no out of the desperate need to find their brothers, but there was a barely concealed longing in his brother's voice that made him answer differently.

"Yeah. That is, if that's okay, bro." Leo sighed in what sounded unnervingly like relief and began to move toward a nearby alley.

"Of course that's okay. We can keep going in a little bit." The two brothers sat down side-by-side, Leo's arm never once leaving Mikey's shoulders. The orange-banded turtle gratefully laid his head on Leo's shoulder, closing his eyes and trying to forget the dull aching in his head. He hadn't realized how much he needed to rest until he sat down. He fell asleep listening to Leo's hoarse breathing and the sounds of catastrophe all around them.

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When Mikey awoke he was in exactly the same position as when he had fallen asleep. A quick glance at Leo confirmed that neither of them had moved at all. He thought about letting Leo sleep longer, but it was already starting to get brighter outside and he knew they needed to move while they still could. They had wasted enough darkness already. Maybe if they stayed hidden they could keep traveling during the day….

It took a lot longer than normal to rouse Leo. The older turtle moaned and turned away from Mikey the first time he shook him. Under any other circumstances the fun-loving turtle would have found this funny, but as it was it only increased his worry greatly. Finally Leo opened his eyes and stared at him dazedly. Mikey stood up, bracing himself against the wall as he fought off a wave of dizziness, and then helped Leo to his feet.

"It's almost dawn. We should have gotten up sooner," Leo observed, rubbing his eyes as if to get rid of the sleepiness.

"Yeah, I was thinking maybe if we're careful we could keep going during the day. The others will probably be hiding out, and maybe we can catch up quicker that way."

Leo nodded slowly. "If we're careful." They took to the sidewalk again, ducking behind wreckage if anyone came too close. By now most of the citizens of New York City had taken shelter in emergency tents that had been set up, and there weren't a lot of people out. But occasionally an emergency vehicle would drive by, the flashing lights making the ninjas none too comfortable.

Suddenly Mikey's eyes lit up and he pointed excitedly to a close-by apartment building. "That's where Casey lives! I know where we are now!" Leo followed his gaze, a look of surprise on his face. Obviously he hadn't noticed it yet. A thought suddenly struck Mikey and he moved slowly toward the building. "It's still standing…. Maybe he's okay! Leo, let's go check it out."

The older turtle hesitated before following his brother to the fire escape. Mikey was about to climb the ladder when Leo thought better of it. "It doesn't look too sturdy. It may be loose. Let's use the door."

Mikey looked at him like he had lost his mind for a moment. Then he realized what his brother was implying. "You mean, you think they all… you think none of them…."

"I don't think Casey's dead, Mikey. I just don't think anyone would still be in the building. But we can check, if you'd like." Mikey nodded and followed his brother into the apartment building. It felt so weird to be walking in the front door, but Mikey chose not to think about it at the moment. They climbed the stairs to the third floor, leaping over small piles of debris along the way.

They found, upon arrival at Casey's apartment, that the door was stuck. Leo kicked it down, sending himself off-balance and into the wall behind him. Mikey frowned, but soon forgot the incident when Leo walked into the apartment, surveying the damage.

The room was still intact, but the floor was littered with most of Casey's belongings. Light fixtures, furniture, broken glass…. But there was no sign of Jones himself. "At least we know he made it out," Leo murmured. The two remained in the familiar room a while longer, letting the knowledge restore their hope. Finally Leo sighed. "We should get going. We can head to the alley where we were going to meet the guys and go from there. They may have left a trail for us to follow if we made it this far. Mikey shuddered at the images of Leo's bloody footprints, hoping that it wasn't that kind of trail. He knew that wasn't what Leo had meant, but Mikey couldn't get the idea out of his head.

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The two brothers hesitated outside of the alley, mentally preparing themselves for what they might see upon entry. Leo cleared his throat hoarsely and rubbed the back of his neck wearily. "You can wait here if you want to, Mikey. I'll go first and see… what's there," the older turtle offered. Mikey seriously considered accepting before hesitating and shaking his head.

"No, we should go together." Leo merely nodded and the two rounded the corner, holding their breaths.

The sight before them was hardly what they had been expecting. The battle shell was parked next to the manhole cover, which was still weighed down by debris. Boards, bricks, and concrete blocks littered the alley and covered the roof and hood of the vehicle. But there were no signs of their family. Leo took a few cautious steps toward the battle shell, swallowing hard.

"I'll look inside. You check further in." Mikey didn't respond but obeyed his brother's orders automatically. He peeked under debris and even in a dumpster, but there was nothing to be found. He headed back to his brother slowly, his shoulders slumped in dejection. The youngest turtle bit his lip, blinking rapidly in an attempt to keep the disappointed tears at bay. Part of him had been convinced that they would find their brothers and father when they got to the ally—alive. But those hopes had been dashed to pieces on finding the alley, and the battle shell, abandoned.

Leo was just coming out of the battle shell when Mikey returned. "There's nothing in here. Maybe they…." Leo stopped short when he saw Mikey's tears. The younger ninja watched as the color drained out of his brother's face. "Did you… find them?" he asked. The desperation and heartbreak in Leo's voice was enough to send Mikey over the edge.

Mikey dropped his head into his hands and began to sob uncontrollably, letting out all the emotions he had been suppressing since waking up to the horrific disaster. He felt Leo's arms encircle his shoulders and he leaned into the embrace gratefully. He allowed Leo to hold him until the tears stopped and his breathing returned to normal.

Eventually Leo pulled back, lifting Mikey's head with his hand. "Where are they, Michelangelo?" he asked. Mikey could sense the dread in his voice. For a moment he was confused, until he realized that he had never answered his brother's question.

"They… they're not here." Now it was Leo's turn to be confused. "I'm sorry, Leo. I didn't mean to worry you, I just… I thought they would be here…." Relief was the first emotion to register on Leo's face, then concern.

"It's okay, Mikey. We'll find them. The fact that they're not here means they survived the aftershocks. They're probably just looking for us. Don left a lot of his supplies in the battle shell; chances are they'll come back here when they need to regroup. We can wait inside. It's okay, Mikey, we'll find them." The younger brother didn't respond, but he wiped the tears from his face and looked into Leo's unmasked eyes gratefully. The two brothers turned and were about to enter the battle shell when a voice stopped them.

"Leo? Mikey?" As they whirled around to face the intruders, their weary eyes fell on the form of Raphael.

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Sorry, I couldn't help but leave it there. The next chapter will definitely be the last. I hope you're enjoying this as much as I am. Let me know what you think. Thanks so much for reading!


	4. Chapter 4

It's about time, right?

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Mikey and his brother stared at each other for what seemed like an eternity before Raph finally broke the silence. "You're… alright?" he whispered. That was all the prompting Mikey needed. He ran forward as fast as his weary legs would carry him and threw his arms around his older brother.

"Raph… you're okay!" Mikey was slightly surprised to feel Raph hugging him back just as fiercely, but he didn't dwell on the thought for long. "Where's Donny and Master Splinter?" he asked, finally pulling away and wiping the tears from his face.

"Don's right behind me, and Master Splinter's still out looking for you," the hot-headed turtle answered, swiping at his wet cheeks in annoyance. Under normal circumstances Mikey wouldn't have missed the opportunity to rib his macho brother about his tears, but he was too happy to see his brother alive and well. "Yo, Don! They're here, they're okay!" Mikey heard a strangled gasp from just around the corner of the alley before the brainy turtle skidded to a stop in the opening.

"M-Mikey?" Don's tired face split into a wide grin as he stared at his brother. His smile faded a little as he looked around, though. "Wh… where's Leo?" Mikey's head immediately whirled around toward the battle shell, where he had last seen his brother.

"Le… o?" The oldest turtle was sitting in the alley, leaning against the side of the battle shell. His eyes were closed and his breathing was heavy and uneven. Mikey was by his brother's side in a flash, his unmasked brow creased in concern.

"What happened?" Don asked, also falling to his knees beside his older brother.

"A lot…. I think he's sick, Donny." The brainiac had already located the nasty wound on Leo's leg and was untying the masks. Don sucked in a shocked breath at the sight of the gash.

"He was walking around in the sewer with _this_?" he asked incredulously. Mikey nodded miserably.

"I did all I could. It wasn't much," Mikey said, pointing at the filthy masks.

"You did good, Mikey," Raph murmured from somewhere behind them. Don continued to look Leo over.

"Is there anything else?"

"I think he swallowed a lot of sewer water, but I don't think he's hurt anywhere else." Don continued to look Leo over, running his hands over his limbs and plastron. When he came to his hands, he stopped.

"His hands are burned." The statement took Mikey off-guard, but after a moment he realized what it meant.

"Oh." Don looked up at him, confusion written all over his face. "He, uh…."

"He what, Mikey," Raph prodded from behind him. His voice lacked his usual impatience, and almost sounded gentle.

"He ran into a burning building to save a little kid."

"He what?" That time Raph sounded like himself.

Donatello rubbed a hand over his face, sighing. "He would, wouldn't he? Raph, help me get him inside the Battle Shell." Raph grunted and helped lift their unconscious leader off the pavement. They carefully carried him into the vehicle and laid him on the emergency examination table in the back. Don immediately set to work cleaning out the wound on Leo's leg.

Mikey sat down in one of the chairs, suddenly feeling irresistibly sleepy. He rubbed at his eyes with a grimy hand, wincing as a spike of pain shot through his skull. He let his hand fall away from his face but didn't open his eyes. The urge to sleep grew stronger, and he gave in.

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"Mikey." Raph's gruff voice broke him from his half-asleep state. He opened his eyes a crack, trying to focus on his brother's face.

"Hm?" he mumbled, closing his eyes again.

"Stay awake, buddy. Just a little longer. Don wants me to check you over for any injuries. He thinks you have a concussion."

"Think so… too…." Mikey's voice sounded distorted to his own ears as his eyes drifted closed again.

"Look Mikey. I know you want to sleep, but you can't okay? Just open your eyes, focus on me, okay?" Mikey tried, he really did, but he couldn't force his eyes open.

"Later…."

"Focus on Leo. He needs you to stay awake, Mikey." Raph pleaded, giving his shoulder a gentle shake.

"Leo…."

"Yeah, Leo. Come on Mikey. Open your eyes for Leo." Mikey sighed, forcing his eyes open a crack. "Good. Now look at Leo. Watch Leo while I check your head." The youngest turtle tried his hardest to focus on Leonardo. Don was still bent over him, apparently stitching up his shin. Leo was shaking, and the sound of his labored breathing grated on Mikey's ears.

"Leo…."

"He'll be alright, Mikey. Just stay awake. Aw, shell! Don!"

"What's wrong, Raph?"

"Mikey's got a knot on his head the size of a softball." His brothers' words started to fade, and Mikey's eyes swam even more out of focus.

"A knot's good. It means the swelling isn't putting pressure on his brain." Raphael's reply was lost to Mikey as his eyes closed once more.

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"Michelangelo. My son, it is time to wake up." Michelangelo moaned, trying to roll away from the voice. A second moan quickly followed when the dull throbbing behind his eyes spiked sharply. "Michelangelo." Mikey forced his eyes open again, blinking groggily.

"What?" he slurred, wishing he could just go back to sleep.

"Donatello says it is not wise to let you sleep for too long. Leonardo is asking for you." Mikey finally managed to focus on the source of the voice, and he was surprised to see Master Splinter standing next to him. "Do you feel up to going to him?" Mikey nodded, still trying to work out where he was.

Master Splinter helped Mikey to his feet, and the youngest turtle leaned on him gratefully. He felt so tired… and he couldn't remember why. Had it been a long training session, or a fight with the Shredder and half the Foot, or…. As soon as Mikey's eyes fell on his oldest brother the memories came rushing back. He remembered being shaken awake by his _bed_, getting trapped in the sewers, walking for hours out in the streets. And he remembered Leo getting sicker and sicker the whole time.

Now Leonardo was lying on the exam table, covered in blankets but still shivering violently. His eyes were partially open, though, and that was all that Mikey saw. "Mikey. Are you okay?" an unfamiliar voice questioned. Mikey's eyes drifted shut for a second before snapping open when he realized the voice came from his brother. "Mikey?" Leo's voice was hoarse and barely more than a whisper, but this time there was no mistaking it was his.

"Sure thing, bro. I just hit my head or… something. How 'bout you?" Mikey's voice was still slightly slurred with sleep, but he realized that he could hear better than he could a while ago.

"I'm good, Mikey. Just… cold. Glad you're… okay…."

Don came into the Battle Shell, a slightly annoyed expression on his face. "You shouldn't be up, Mikey. And you shouldn't be talking, Leo. You guys need to rest." Mikey noted how weary his brainy brother seemed to be and had the fleeting feeling that he should apologize.

"Leonardo wished to see his brother. I did not think there would be any harm," Master Splinter replied.

Don sighed. "No, I guess not. But Mikey should go back to sleep. We have to wake him in an hour, anyway."

"Of course, my son."

Mikey allowed himself to be led away, but kept his eyes on his brother as long as he could. He was asleep almost before he was back in his chair.

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It seemed like forever before Mikey was aware of himself again. When he came to, his first thought was that he was warm. Warm and comfortable, and the pain wasn't as bad as it was before. He kept his eyes closed, enjoying the feeling of what had to be mountains of blankets on top of him.

He had begun to doze off again when he heard someone sit down next to him. He turned his head toward the noise, and almost fell out of his bed onto the floor below. A strong hand steadied him, however, and his eyes opened slowly.

He had to blink several times to clear his blurry vision before he was able to make out the form of Casey Jones sitting next to his bedside. "Huh, Casey? What are you doing here?"

Casey grinned widely. "Mikey, you're awake! You scared us pretty bad, dude. We couldn't get you to wake up there for a while."

Mikey frowned in confusion. "What are you talking about? I was just taking a nap," he mumbled.

Concern instantly filled Casey's eyes. "Wait, do you remember anything? The earthquake, being trapped in the sewers… anything?"

Mikey thought hard for a moment, not coming up with anything. He was about to ask what in the world Casey was on when memories suddenly began to flood his mind. "Wait…. I kinda remember walking around in the sewer for a long time, and… oh my gosh! You're okay! I thought you were dead!" Mikey tried to sit up, but his spun and he fell back on his pillow.

"I'm fine, Mikey. So's April. We found you guys not long after you and Leo showed up at the Battle Shell, apparently." Casey smiled in relief.

"And Leo? How's Leo? Where is he? Where am _I_, for that matter?" Mikey asked hurriedly.

Casey chuckled. "Leo's doing okay. He's still got a fever, but it's not as high as it was and Don says it should break soon. He's in the other room with Raph. We're at the farm house; we managed to get out of the city with everyone and the old place is still standing. We'll probably be here for a while," Casey explained, frowning a little.

"Oh." Mikey looked around him, glad to be away from the chaos of the city. "How long has it been?"

"Well, we've been here for two days. It's been almost three since the earthquake hit."

Mikey whistled softly. "So I've been out for two days?"

Casey nodded and said, "You scared the crap out of Don, dude. He was afraid for a while that you'd slipped into a coma. But you woke up a little bit early this morning and he says you'll be fine now, as soon as the headache passes."

"Yeah, can't wait for that," Mikey said wryly. A long moment of silence passed between them. "So… everyone's really okay?"

Casey smiled, but it didn't reach his eyes. "Yeah, somehow we all managed to make it. I'm not really sure how, considering. A lot of people died." Mikey stared at the floor, his eyes beginning to feel heavy again. "Get some more sleep, man. Don says you can sleep as much as you want now." Mikey didn't reply, grateful to finally be able to sleep in peace.

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Wow, this has long been in the working, and I'm glad to have finally found the inspiration to finish this last chapter. A HUGE thank you to everyone who actually read this! I am beginning to think about a couple sequels, which are still loosely developed and probably wouldn't be posted for a long time. Let me know what you think of the ideas:

Earthquake: Topside

This would be another four-chapter story detailing Raphael and Donatello's experiences during the earthquake. It could provide a little more detail and some insight into what happened after the turtles were reunited; I realize that was a little fuzzy, as poor Mikey's head was a lot fuzzy.

Earthquake: Aftershock

This one is more of a vague idea, but I'm just as hopeful about it. It would pick up where this one left one, detailing the turtles' recovery, and their time spent at the farmhouse while New York tries to rebuild.

Again, thank you SO much to everyone who remained loyal through the… holy crap! Fifteen month break. Wow, sorry about that. Anyway, please review and let me know what you think about the sequel ideas!


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